Ollas y merenderos populares en Uruguay: tramas para sostener la vida frente a la pandemia

Informe generado con la participación de Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Servicio de Extensión Universitaria y AEBU.ENTRAMADOS SOLIDARIOS EN TIEMPOS DE CRISIS. Primer sistematización sobre ollas y merenderos populares en Uruguay 2020 / Anabel Rieiro, Diego Castro, Daniel Pena Camilo Zino, Rocío Veas -- SOLIDARIDAD ALIMENTARIA EN TIEMPOS DE PANDEMIA. Reflexiones estudiantiles del Espacio de Formación Integral / Antonella Ceriotti, Gusman Magnone, Josefina Burdiat, Julia Polgar, Marianne Bernheim, Micaela Traversa, Natashka Umpiérrez, Valentina Conde -- COYUNTURA Y COSTO ECONÓMICO DEL ESFUERZO COLECTIVO. Análisis de la Comisión Técnica Asesora - AEBU / Soledad Giudice, Natalia Otero, Aníbal Peluffo

Content of mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) in cardiomyocytes is regulated by microRNA-1 in physiologic and pathologic hypertrophy

The mitochondrial Cauniporter complex (MCUC) is a multimeric ion channel which, by tuning Ca influx into the mitochondrial matrix, finely regulates metabolic energy production. In the heart, this dynamic control of mitochondrial Ca uptake is fundamental for cardiomyocytes to adapt to either physiologic or pathologic stresses. Mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU), which is the core channel subunit of MCUC, has been shown to play a critical role in the response to β-adrenoreceptor stimulation occurring during acute exercise. The molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of MCU, in conditions requiring chronic increase in energy production, such as physiologic or pathologic cardiac growth, remain elusive. Here, we show that microRNA-1 (miR-1), a member of the muscle-specific microRNA (myomiR) family, is responsible for direct and selective targeting of MCU and inhibition of its translation, thereby affecting the capacity of the mitochondrial Cauptake machinery. Consistent with the role of miR-1 in heart development and cardiomyocyte hypertrophic remodeling, we additionally found that MCU levels are inversely related with the myomiR content, in murine and, remarkably, human hearts from both physiologic (i.e., postnatal development and exercise) and pathologic (i.e., pressure overload) myocardial hypertrophy. Interestingly, the persistent activation of ß-adrenoreceptors is likely one of the upstream repressors of miR-1 as treatment with β-blockers in pressure-overloaded mouse hearts prevented its down-regulation and the consequent increase in MCU content. Altogether, these findings identify the miR-1/MCU axis as a factor in the dynamic adaptation of cardiac cells to hypertrophy

Co-exposure to highly allergenic airborne pollen and fungal spores in Europe

The study is aimed at determining the potential spatiotemporal risk of the co-occurrence of airborne pollen and fungal spores high concentrations in different bio-climatic zones in Europe. Birch, grass, mugwort, ragweed, olive pollen and Alternaria and Cladosporium fungal spores were investigated at 16 sites in Europe, in 2005–2019. In Central and northern Europe, pollen and fungal spore seasons mainly overlap in June and July, while in South Europe, the highest pollen concentrations occur frequently outside of the spore seasons. In the coldest climate, no allergy thresholds were exceeded simultaneously by two spore or pollen taxa, while in the warmest climate most of the days with at least two pollen taxa exceeding threshold values were observed. The annual air temperature amplitude seems to be the main bioclimatic factor influencing the accumulation of days in which Alternaria and Cladosporium spores simultaneously exceed allergy thresholds. The phenomenon of co-occurrence of airborne allergen concentrations gets increasingly common in Europe and is proposed to be present on other continents, especially in temperate climate

High mobility group box 1 orchestrates tissue regeneration via CXCR4

Inflammation and tissue regeneration follow tissue damage, but little is known about how these processes are coordinated. High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) is a nuclear protein that, when released on injury, triggers inflammation. We previously showed that HMGB1 with reduced cysteines is a chemoattractant, whereas a disulfide bond makes it a proinflammatory cytokine. Here we report that fully reduced HMGB1 orchestrates muscle and liver regeneration via CXCR4, whereas disulfide HMGB1 and its receptors TLR4/MD-2 and RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end products) are not involved. Injection of HMGB1 accelerates tissue repair by acting on resident muscle stem cells, hepatocytes, and infiltrating cells. The nonoxidizable HMGB1 mutant 3S, in which serines replace cysteines, promotes muscle and liver regeneration more efficiently than the wild-type protein and without exacerbating inflammation by selectively interacting with CXCR4. Overall, our results show that the reduced form of HMGB1 coordinates tissue regeneration and suggest that 3S may be used to safely accelerate healing after injury in diverse clinical contexts.</p

Tracking the progressive spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in Italy, December 2021 to January 2022

The SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern Omicron was first detected in Italy in November 2021.AimTo comprehensively describe Omicron spread in Italy in the 2 subsequent months and its impact on the overall SARS-CoV-2 circulation at population level.MethodsWe analyse data from four genomic surveys conducted across the country between December 2021 and January 2022. Combining genomic sequencing results with epidemiological records collated by the National Integrated Surveillance System, the Omicron reproductive number and exponential growth rate are estimated, as well as SARS-CoV-2 transmissibility.ResultsOmicron became dominant in Italy less than 1 month after its first detection, representing on 3 January 76.9-80.2% of notified SARS-CoV-2 infections, with a doubling time of 2.7-3.3 days. As of 17 January 2022, Delta variant represented &lt; 6% of cases. During the Omicron expansion in December 2021, the estimated mean net reproduction numbers respectively rose from 1.15 to a maximum of 1.83 for symptomatic cases and from 1.14 to 1.36 for hospitalised cases, while remaining relatively stable, between 0.93 and 1.21, for cases needing intensive care. Despite a reduction in relative proportion, Delta infections increased in absolute terms throughout December contributing to an increase in hospitalisations. A significant reproduction numbers' decline was found after mid-January, with average estimates dropping below 1 between 10 and 16 January 2022.ConclusionEstimates suggest a marked growth advantage of Omicron compared with Delta variant, but lower disease severity at population level possibly due to residual immunity against severe outcomes acquired from vaccination and prior infection

Higher airborne pollen concentrations correlated with increased SARS-CoV-2 infection rates, as evidenced from 31 countries across the globe

Pollen exposure weakens the immunity against certain seasonal respiratory viruses by diminishing the antiviral interferon response. Here we investigate whether the same applies to the pandemic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is sensitive to antiviral interferons, if infection waves coincide with high airborne pollen concentrations. Our original hypothesis was that more airborne pollen would lead to increases in infection rates. To examine this, we performed a cross-sectional and longitudinal data analysis on SARS-CoV-2 infection, airborne pollen, and meteorological factors. Our dataset is the most comprehensive, largest possible worldwide from 130 stations, across 31 countries and five continents. To explicitly investigate the effects of social contact, we additionally considered population density of each study area, as well as lockdown effects, in all possible combinations: without any lockdown, with mixed lockdown−no lockdown regime, and under complete lockdown. We found that airborne pollen, sometimes in synergy with humidity and temperature, explained, on average, 44% of the infection rate variability. Infection rates increased after higher pollen concentrations most frequently during the four previous days. Without lockdown, an increase of pollen abundance by 100 pollen/m3 resulted in a 4% average increase of infection rates. Lockdown halved infection rates under similar pollen concentrations. As there can be no preventive measures against airborne pollen exposure, we suggest wide dissemination of pollen−virus coexposure dire effect information to encourage high-risk individuals to wear particle filter masks during high springtime pollen concentrations.</p